More than just the workload

Relentless Ministry For many priests, some of the most draining moments of their ministry are encounters with Catholics who approach faith and parish as a resource to be used, Fr Chris Hayden writes. The concept of ‘relentless ministry’ is not without limitations. It’s an entirely valid notion, of course, and if I were to suggest…

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Be quick to listen

The truths of our faith make responsible living possible says, Fr Chris Hayden   If I had a euro for every time I was asked to keep my homily short, I mightn’t quite have enough for a long weekend in a spa resort, but I’d probably manage a very decent main course in the restaurant.…

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Recently, I was struck in a fresh way by a stale cliché. I heard someone opining that Massgoers are “voting with their feet” and, although I had heard those words many times before, on this occasion I was practically knocked off my own feet by the superficiality of the expression. The issues facing the Church…

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Signposts of life

Fr Chris Hayden on searching for a destination for Ireland   Remember when the M50 was being widened? Remember the national running commentary on the traffic chaos that arose from what was, metaphorically, an attempt to service an aircraft while it was flying. Some of the chaos was probably avoidable, and the pandemonium that prevailed…

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